YA Novel Update

Recently, my PLC group finished our reading of Troublemakers by Carla Shalaby. When examining the novel, we recognized that there is no coming of age moment in the book, which has led us to believe that this novel does not necessarily qualify as a YA novel. This novel is important for educators and parents to gain a better understanding of what causes children to act out, and what their actions are trying to tell us.

Characteristics of YA Lit
Protagonist	Zora, Lucas, Sean, Marcus
Developmental Stage of Protagonist (Handouts or charts in Week 3 & 4 labeled “Stages”)	Early Adolescence for all 4 protagonists
Key Conflict	Students labeled as “troublemakers” and how that label can affect them in their education and how others treat them. Shalaby examines how the label of “troublemaker” can create a negative atmosphere around those students and, instead of listening to their cries for attention and looking for the source of the issue, teachers push aside the rambunctious energy those students display as a way to silence them in hope for conformity amongst students.
Point of View Telling Story	Carla Shalaby observing these four children in their current learning environment.
Evidence that this is written for YA	Written about middle school aged kids about common issues that they face
Ending: “storybook” or no?	No, there isn’t a complete ending, each POV ends on a different “takeaway” for teachers and how they can help students like Zora, Lucas, Sean, and Marcus.
Evidence of parents	Shalaby details the dynamics between each “troublemaker” and their parents in their respective chapters.
Coming of Age Issue	There isn’t a coming of age issue presented because the observations only take place over a few weeks, so there isn’t enough content to see the change in characters.
Number of Pages & Reading Level	187 pages.
Examples of “Windows and Mirrors”	Windows= teachers who still teach in the classic “lecture” style Mirrors= for students who are considered “troublemakers” and are constantly being nagged on for doing things wrong, when in reality they just need a friend or a teacher to understand what is going on in their lives outside of the classroom. Also, for parents who are concerned with the current school systems and the accommodations for students who have trauma.